AFRICA: Gambia has strengthened Ebola surveillance at the main entrances of the country, including sea ports, airports, and borders after new deaths from the Ebola virus were recorded in Guinea.

AMERICAS: Argentina’s Senate approved an agreement to pay billions of dollars to holdout creditors, ending a 15-year battle over the country’s debt default.

ASIA: Almost half of the US 81M hackers stole from Bangladesh and funnelled into Philippine casinos can still be recovered, an investigating senior Filipino lawmaker said.

EUROPE: UN judges found radical Serb leader Vojislav Seselj not guilty on all nine charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity arising out of the 1990s Balkans wars.

MIDDLE EAST: The first units of Russian demining experts have arrived in Syria to demine the historic part of the ancient city of Palmyra.

TECHNOLOGY: China has sought to address criticism of proposed new Internet regulations, saying they had been misunderstood and suggesting they wouldn’t lead to increased blocking of foreign websites.

TOP STORY

Europe: Accused Paris attacker states intention to cooperate with France.

The accused Paris attacker, Salah Abdeslam, captured by Belgian authorities after a four-month manhunt wants to cooperate with French authorities, his lawyer said.

A prosecutor was set to travel to the prison in the city of Bruges where Abdeslam has been held for almost two weeks awaiting his likely extradition to France under a European arrest warrant.

Abdeslam is accused of helping to plan and execute the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

He has links to several of those involved in the Brussels suicide bombings that killed 32 people.

Mr Abdeslam has denied direct involvement in the killing of 130 people in the French capital on 13NOV last year, insisting he only drove others to the locations of the shootings and provided logistical support.

Region: Gambia has strengthened Ebola surveillance at the main entrances of the country, including sea ports, airports, and borders after new deaths from the Ebola virus were recorded in Guinea. (Xinhua)

Mali: Security forces have arrested a suspected jihadist leader in the south of the country. (AFP)

Somalia: A suicide bomber belonging to the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab killed at least 10 people in the central town of Galkayo. (DPA)

Argentina: The senate approved an agreement to pay billions of dollars to holdout creditors, ending a 15-year battle over the country’s debt default. (AFP)

Mexico: The country does not comply with its own laws in how it handles unaccompanied child migrants fleeing violence in Central America, a Human Rights Watch report said. (AP)

Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro called for a national debate over an amnesty law approved by the Congress that gives amnesty to activists who the opposition considers as political prisoners. (Xinhua)

ASIA

Region: Almost half of the US 81M hackers stole from Bangladesh and funnelled into Philippine casinos can still be recovered, an investigating senior Filipino lawmaker said. (AFP)

Region: The Hong Kong government has threatened to “take action” against a new independence party and China slammed the group, which said it had been blocked from registering for political reasons. (AFP)

Vietnam: The National Assembly elected Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan as the country’s first female house speaker in the capital Hanoi. (Xinhua)

Vietnam: President Truong Tan Sang was relieved from duty at the ongoing 11th session of the 13th National Assembly (NA) in the capital Hanoi. (Xinhua)

EUROPE

Belgium: Belgian police on carried out a new raid in connection with a foiled attack plot in France whose main suspect was charged this week with membership in a terrorist organization. (AFP)

Bosnia: Police have arrested 10 people in relation to a banking scam in which nearly USD 71.4M in fraudulent loans and bank guarantees were issued by the now-defunct Bobar Bank. (AP)

Serbia: UN judges found radical Serb leader Vojislav Seselj not guilty on all nine charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity arising out of the 1990s Balkans wars. (AFP)

United Kingdom: PM David Cameron is holding a crisis meeting to save the country’s struggling steel industry. (AP)

MIDDLE EAST

Iraq: PM Haider al-Abadi is due to seek parliamentary approval for a cabinet reshuffle amid mounting pressure for political reform. (AP)

Syria: The first units of Russian demining experts have arrived to demine the historic part of the ancient city of Palmyra. (Reuters)

Yemen: Yemeni rebels have mounted a deadly counterattack against government troops advancing down the Red Sea coast from the Saudi border ahead of a planned ceasefire next month, military sources said. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Technology: The FBI, which just a few days ago was attempting to convince the US of its helplessness in the face of encrypted iPhones, has generously offered its assistance in unlocking an iPhone and iPod for a prosecutor in Arkansas. (TechCrunch)

Communications: China has sought to address criticism of proposed new Internet regulations, saying they had been misunderstood and suggesting they wouldn’t lead to increased blocking of foreign websites. (WSJ)